The subtle art of adopting a 'growth mindset'

Among so many other interesting & unique things, Jodhpur is extremely well known for its miniature paintings. During my recent holiday, I was thrilled to meet Chauhan, a renowned artist who converted a part of his residence as an art gallery. When we arrived at his gallery, away from the hustle of this popular tourist town, he bestowed upon us the signature Indian hospitality. We were warmly greeted with some home-made 'chai' and it was quite natural for an engaging conversation to brew in such a setting.

My friend (an artist at heart & a fabulous artist herself) was in awe of the artistic masterpieces in display and the stories around each one of them. During the entire 30 minute conversation, possibly the only thought I was contemplating within me was the unique business model Chauhan had devised to 'wow' the audience before making them 'splurge'. If you think about it, an approach not so different from what Apple has been doing historically through their keynote events. Who doesn't remember those golden days of Apple (keynote) ?!

I would like to call Chauhan, an 'entrepreneurial artist' (sounds an oxymoron right ?!). With so many competitors (artists), he managed to catch our attention & find a place in our packed itinerary. Out of the 'so many' paintings that we saw during the trip, including a few at the other cities & towns of Rajasthan, the only painting we shopped was at Chauhan's Art Gallery. In hindsight, the whole experience of visiting his gallery reminds me of the excitement I lived through when I first visited the Apple store on Fifth Avenue, New York.

Chauhan is quite smart to understand that anyone can borrow his business model. After all, it doesn't take a lot of effort to offer 'chai', right ?! Over the last few years, much like Apple, he has marketed his brand & value proposition very strongly. The entrepreneurial artist smartly chose a cost effective marketing channel - Trip Advisor, a renowned travel portal used widely by tourist around the world. Out of the so many historic monuments including the famed Umaid Bhavan Palace, his gallery was ranked as the 'No.1 attraction in Jodhpur'. That's quite a feat and it doesn't come easily. Takes effort & perseverance. Chauhan pursues every visitor to write a review on Trip Advisor. When I didn't write a review as promised, he diligently followed up with me on WhatsApp the next week & nudged me to complete the task at hand. An other trait that I truly admired.

In the changing landscapes of business, we talk so much about adopting a 'Growth Mindset' and how it can help a leader challenge the turbulent times and chart the growth trajectory for their organizations. Maybe, there are some invaluable lessons to learn from Chauhan on

1. (Re)inventing business models
2. Designing an user experience that will 'wow' your audience
3. Continue making world class products
4. Power of 'persistent efforts' - it always makes impossible look silly !